Before Monday night’s game against Leominster, Northborough Legion manager Alex Dion lamented the fact that his team is 1-6 in one-run games this season. Dion has more to worry about after Post 234 suffered its sixth straight loss, dropping an 11-0 decision to Leominster in five innings via mercy rule in a Zone 4 game at Memorial Field.

Before Monday night’s game against Leominster, Northborough Legion manager Alex Dion lamented the fact that his team is 1-6 in one-run games this season.

Dion has more to worry about after Post 234 suffered its sixth straight loss, dropping an 11-0 decision to Leominster in five innings via mercy rule in a Zone 4 game at Memorial Field.

With the loss, Northborough’s record slides to 8-14, and its chances of securing a postseason berth become more of a long shot.

"I am," Dion said when asked if he was surprised by Monday’s result with his team fighting for a playoff spot. "I don’t think it’s for a lack of effort."

Leominster (20-3) broke it open in the second inning with six runs off Northborough starter Matt Doyle.

Trailing 2-0, Matt Russell took Doyle deep to left for a solo shot. Later in the inning with the bases loaded, right fielder Mark McCauley misjudged a fly ball with the bases loaded, plating two more runs for a 5-0 Leominster lead.

"I’m disappointed," McCauley said. "We shouldn’t have gotten mercied by them. They’re a good team, but when your backs against the wall, you never want to go down like that."

Doyle lasted three innings. He was on the hill for all 11 Leominster runs on nine hits with one walk.

But the Northborough defense didn’t provide much support. In all, Post 234 committed five errors that accounted for three Leominster runs.

"Obviously, I’d like to see a better defensive effort," Doyle said "But I’m not going to get down on my teammates. They work hard every day."

Leominster added three more runs in the second. Roland Lapointe hit an RBI single that scored Steve Drury. Drury collided with Northborough catcher Matt Barnes as Mike Stamas’ throw from center field reached home plate. The ball rolled to the backstop and Brett Corliss raced home from third to increase Leominster’s lead to 7-0.

Leominster scored its final run of the inning on a sacrifice fly by Nick Bergeron.

"It’s been the story of our year so far," Dion said about Leominster’s big inning. "When one mistake happens it kind of compounds on top of each other. We haven’t been able to get that big play when we needed it in order to stop an inning like that."

Northborough managed only one hit off Leominster starter Tim Sargent.

It came off the bat off Mike Stamas, who singled to left in the first inning. Stamas took second on a wild pitch, but Sargent got Owen Shea to ground out to end the inning.

It was the only time Northborough had a runner in scoring position.

Page 2 of 2 -
"Pitching with a lead is a lot better than if it’s a close game…it’s easier to just throw strikes and calm down," Sargent said after he struck out four to go along with his one-hitter.

Leominster tagged Doyle with a single, double, and a two-run single by Corliss to lead off the first inning to take a 2-0 lead.

Doyle’s evening ended after he surrendered three more runs in the third. With runners on first and second, third baseman Jack Hennigan made an error which led to a Leominster run. Two more came home on a Drury sacrifice fly and a Corliss RBI single.

Stamas pitched two innings of scoreless relief for Northborough.

With six straight losses with four games left in the season, Northborough is still mathematically alive for a playoff berth.

But the odds aren’t good.

"We’re going to need some help," Doyle said. "We snuck in last year. Once you start winning, you never know what can happen. We’ve put ourselves in a tough hole, but the only thing we can do now is win our last four games and see what happens."